House Hunting
by hughville
Summary: Emma Swan is hired to bring Doctor Gregory House back to Princeton to face charges for driving his car into Doctor Lisa Cuddy's home.


**I don't own House or Emma Swan or their respective shows.**

* * *

The beach was nearly deserted. A few people sat on blankets watching the sun sink in a fiery blaze beneath the watery horizon. Doctor Gregory House walked along the water line. He wore jeans, a faded t-shirt and leaned heavily on a cane. The sea breeze ruffled his brown hair. From her beach towel, Emma Swan watched from behind her sunglasses as he approached her. She wore a tiny red bikini and her hair was still damp with seawater. She spent most of the day at this particular beach waiting for him. To pass the time, she'd gone swimming several times. Sitting up, she ran her fingers through her blonde hair fluffing it slightly to encourage its natural curl. Doctor House walked past her without looking up. Once he was further down the beach, Emma shoved her sunglasses onto her head, stood and picked up her towel. Tying it around her waist, she fell into step behind him. As she followed him, she bent to examine shells. She splashed through the rising tide when he turned back to look at her. She was careful not to look at him. Her first rule as a bounty hunter was not to let the prey know she was tracking them.

When she took the assignment to bring Doctor House back to America, she'd been slightly shocked by the charges against him. So, she researched him. He was renowned as a brilliant diagnostician. Doctors sent Doctor House patients who couldn't be cured and he nearly always cured them. He was considered unconventional and his staff turnover let Emma know that he was hard to work for. She also looked up his staff and was shocked to see that one was her doppelganger. Her name was Allison Cameron and she currently worked at an ER in Chicago. Emma planned to use her uncanny resemblance to Doctor Cameron to her advantage.

Emma slowed her pace when Doctor House veered to the right. She watched as he struggled through the deep sand. Nothing she read explained the limp and the cane. All she knew was that he destroyed his brilliant career when he drove his car into his ex-girlfriend's house. That told Emma he was prone to violence and she would need to be careful around him. Even though he used a cane and limped, he was very tall and heavily muscled. She noticed that when he passed her. So, he still took care of himself despite his disability.

He walked carefully up the steps of a small bungalow. When he disappeared inside, Emma removed her towel, folded it carefully and approached the small house. The sun disappeared leaving the sky pale lavender. Shadows stretched out as she made her way up the steps. She knew exactly what she was going to say as she raised her hand to knock on the French door.

Before she could knock, the door opened and she stood face to face with him. Well, actually face to broad chest. Tilting her head back, she looked at him. He wasn't handsome in the traditional sense but there was something about him; an attraction that she couldn't explain. He had the bluest, clearest eyes she had ever seen. A scruffy beard flecked with grey gave him a roguish look. When he leaned against the door and smirked at her, she was surprised to see dimples crease his cheeks. He looked her over slowly his gaze resting on her breasts and legs before looking at her face.

"Nice shades," he commented. His voice was deep and sent a not unpleasant jolt through her. She would have to be very careful around him.

"Did Wilson send you?" he asked. "I bet he figured you could get me to do the right thing. Tell him nice try but that it didn't work."

Emma pushed her sunglasses back on top of her head. "Why?" she asked. She needed him to believe that she was Allison Cameron.

Doctor House's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. She felt her skin begin to flush under his unwavering gaze.

"You are not Cameron," he stated and started to shut the door. Emma slid past him and into the living room. She heard the door shut and lock but she wasn't worried. In the past, she'd been in worse situations and gotten out without trouble.

Turning to face him, she dropped her towel on the table next to her. The room was simply furnished with brown wicker furniture topped with oversized floral cushions. Grass mats covered the worn wood floor and end tables held lamps with clear bases filled with shells and topped with simple shades. Pictures of sea animals covered the bead board walls. To her left was a galley kitchen at the end of a hallway.

"Why do you think I'm not Cameron?" she asked as she moved around the room. There were no personal effects except a bottle of Scotch and a glass on the small coffee table.

He walked over to her and towered over her. She knew he was using his size to try to intimidate her.

"It's the eyes," he remarked. "Cameron's eyes are different." He paused and looked off into space. "Kinder and softer. Your eyes are definitely not soft or kind. You've had a hard life and your eyes show it."

Anger flared up at his words. How could he read her so easily? Emma took a deep breath and released it.

"My name is Emma Swan and I've been hired by Doctor Eric Foreman to bring you back to Princeton. You can't commit attempted vehicular homicide and not face the consequences."

"Foreman sent you?"

"Yes. I have two plane tickets back to Princeton. Are you coming with me? You can come voluntarily or involuntarily. Your choice."

His bright blue gaze swept over her again and then he laughed. It wasn't a loud laugh but more of a soft, sardonic chuckle. It suddenly occurred to Emma that this man didn't laugh often.

"That little bikini you're wearing doesn't leave much room for handcuffs or a gun."

"Trust me," she smiled. "I can get you on that plane without either of those."

Suddenly, he smiled and Emma was amazed at how it transformed his face. He walked over to the couch, propped his bare feet up on the coffee table and leaned his cane against his right leg.

"Do your thing, fauxCameron." He folded his hands and waited for her to make the next move.

Suddenly, she knew how to handle him. She sat down next to him on the couch and put her feet up. Removing her sunglasses, she tossed them on the table.

"Well, Doctor House-"she began.

He cut her off abruptly. "Just call me House."

"Well, House, "she said. "I did some research on you. From what I read, you like to call the shots. So you tell me how you'd like to do this. Whether you come with me or someone else, you are going back to Princeton to face the charges against you."

House nodded. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

Emma watched him closely. For a moment she thought he might have gone to sleep but he reached down and rubbed his right thigh. Finally, after several minutes, he opened his eyes and turned to look at her. The pain and sadness in his eyes hit her like a punch.

"I guess if I have to go back, I may as well go with someone who looks good in a bikini."

Emma nodded. This was easier than she expected.

"When do we leave?" he asked.

"Tomorrow."

He nodded and rubbed his thigh again.

Suddenly Emma had to know why he did what he did.

"Why did you drive your car into your ex-girlfriend's house?"

The man sitting next to her seemed rational, calm, intelligent and somewhat reasonable. He didn't strike her as the violent type she encountered in her line of work.

He looked at the ceiling before replying. "She wanted her hairbrush back. I gave it to her. When do we leave?"

Emma stared at him. She knew there was more to the story than that but she also instinctively knew that he would never tell her.

"Two-thirty. I'll come back for you but if you're not here I will find you," she told him.

"Where are you staying?"

Emma frowned. "Why?"

He sighed and for reasons she would never understand, she told him. Using the cane to stand, he went to the phone and made a brief call. Then he returned and sat down next to her.

"The hotel is sending someone over with your things. I'll pay your bill and you can sleep here tonight. That way you can be sure I won't slip out during the night. Do you mind sleeping on the couch?"

House smiled at the look of confusion on her face.

"The couch is fine," she finally responded.

House nodded.

* * *

Late the next night, Emma drove away from the police station in Princeton. House was now in jail awaiting his trial. She'd been shocked when he turned down the offer of calling his lawyer and then refused bail.

Shaking her head, she concentrated on her driving. She did her job, got her money and would never see Greg House again. For some reason, that thought made her sad.


End file.
